CP_414

Tough one this week. I think Minnesota is a possible playoff team, and playoff teams are hard to beat at home. I think the offense will have their toughest test of the season. I'm not all that impressed with Minnesota's offense though. Early Prediction: Bears 17-13 This is a huge game, with Seattle coming to Chicago the next week. After this week Minnesota plays Buffalo and Detroit, so if the Bears lose, it is quite possible the Vikings are going to be 5-0.

GAMEDAY!!! Get your picks in... BEARS 23 - Lions 10 Rex - 18/30, 210 yards, 1 TD/0 INT TJ - 18 carries, 75 yards, TD Ced - 12 carries, 56 yards

Can't stop Pierre's streak, dude. He's saved us the last few months.

I would think that what we see as the #1 priority will never be what Angelo sees. Didn't he have a reputation of ignoring O line in Tampa? First priority is extending Briggs, Vasher, and Tommie Harris. The D is the identity of the team, the strength of the team. They have to keep these guys to stay at such a dominant level. Even a minor drop off in defense could kill this team because the offense while improved, isn't near strong enough. Priority #2 is the O-Line. Hopefully one of these young receivers can establish themself as a big time player so priority #3 won't have to be a WR.

I would give up a lot to get Dunn, but I doubt Hendry would. He just doesn't seem to be the type of player this organization values. His average is low, walks are high, power is high, defense is poor. If Dunn is trade bait a much smarter GM than Hendry will acquire him. If it were me I would offer the Reds Howry, Jones, and Marshall for Dunn. I think Murton can pay RF. Then significantly upgrade the rotation and 2b, get a stopgap until Pie in center.

Roy Williams disagrees. He guaranteed a Lions' victory. http://freep.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20060911/NEWS99/60911018 Was just running on here to post that Bad idea Roy. Early Prediction... Bears 23 - Lions 6 Two straight weeks without a TD allowed.

anybody who disagrees with this is really just kidding himself Thats just not true. The Irish fell in the polls by not winning by enough last week. It would be idiotic to not "run up the score" every chance you get. You can't run up the score when you're losing most of the game. Notre Dame never had the chance to run up the score because they were holding on by the skin of their teeth. It's not like Notre Dame had the opportunity to score another 2 TDs and didn't out of sympathy for their opponent. Also, as I mentioned earlier, margin of victory is a factor in the BCS. To be fair to the other side, this is not true. The only way that margin of victory factors into the BCS is the polls (which you already mentioned earlier in your post, so you can't double count it). The computer rankings were forced to exclude any margin of victory component 3 or 4 years ago. I wasn't clear there. What I meant was not only does it influence the AP and Coaches Poll, but the Computer Poll (1/3 of the BCS standings) and the Harris Interactive Poll( 1/3 of the BCS). It's all about perception and 41-17 looks better than 27-17, and that helps you in the BCS.

GAMEDAY!!! Get your picks in. Bears 24 Packers 13 Favre sacked 3 times, picked once. Rex Grossman 16-29, 220 yards, 1TD/0 INT TJ - 90 rushing yards, 2 TD's...25 yards for Benson BEAR DOWN!

anybody who disagrees with this is really just kidding himself Thats just not true. The Irish fell in the polls by not winning by enough last week. It would be idiotic to not "run up the score" every chance you get. You can't run up the score when you're losing most of the game. Notre Dame never had the chance to run up the score because they were holding on by the skin of their teeth. It's not like Notre Dame had the opportunity to score another 2 TDs and didn't out of sympathy for their opponent. If Notre Dame shut down the offense at 27-3, and ended up winning 27-17, I would be willing to bet money that they would be behind USC and Auburn in the polls on Monday night. Now, I think they are now lower than #3, probably #2. Also, as I mentioned earlier, margin of victory is a factor in the BCS. You are hurting YOUR team if you are worried about the feelings of your opponent. If Penn State wanted to stop Notre Dame from "running it up" they should have played better. Play till the clock says zero.

anybody who disagrees with this is really just kidding himself Thats just not true. The Irish fell in the polls by not winning by enough last week. It would be idiotic to not "run up the score" every chance you get. The margin of victory impacts polls, why stop playing just because the outcome isn't in doubt? The margin of victory also impacts the BCS. Play 100% till it's over.

Still think so? 19-27, 230 yards, 2 TD in the first half and he has 23 yards rushing As a Bears fan I can only hope Rex can be as "not sharp," as Brady was in the first half, in the entire game tomorrow.

I'm calling it right now, the loser of Titans/Jets will have the first pick in the draft. And I think the Jets will taste defeat at the hands of Kerry Collins. 8) You might be right, but I watched Tennessee beat the Packers by 14 a couple days ago. It really should have been a 30 point win, too. VY overthrew 3 easy TD's, the Titans missed a FG, missed an easy chip-shot FG attempt at the end of the half becausew Kerry Collins screwed up clock management, and fumbled inside the ten. All those things mean the Titans suck, but to do that and win by 14 (even though it's preseason) what does that say about GB? Favre only threw 1 pass (for 89 yards), and both GB corners were out, but a sad display nonetheless. The top 5 picks will probably include the Jets, Titans, Texans, Bills, and either the Packers or Lions. Excellent point, and I agree with your top 5, but I think both the Jets and Titans are worse than the Pack simply because GB still has Favre. Yes, I know he's old and likely washed up, but he still is good enough to find a way to pull out 5 wins or so, more than I think the Titans and Jets will get. When it comes down to it though, all these teams suck pretty bad. I hate to say it but this is East Coast Bias all the way here. Both Bay Area teams have good shots of getting a top 5 pick in the draft. The Niners have a better shot than the Raiders but I wouldn't discount Aaron Brooks helping the Raiders get a top 5 pick. I think the 49ers and Raiders are better than all those teams. The 49ers are in the 2nd year under Nolan, Smith's 2nd year, and they added a guy who could be an impact TE in Vernon Davis. They should be top 8 or so, but I think they are better than those teams. The Raiders should be better than the 49ers. BTW - Wouldn't it be a West Coast Bias if I think the East Coast teams are worse?

I'm calling it right now, the loser of Titans/Jets will have the first pick in the draft. And I think the Jets will taste defeat at the hands of Kerry Collins. 8) You might be right, but I watched Tennessee beat the Packers by 14 a couple days ago. It really should have been a 30 point win, too. VY overthrew 3 easy TD's, the Titans missed a FG, missed an easy chip-shot FG attempt at the end of the half becausew Kerry Collins screwed up clock management, and fumbled inside the ten. All those things mean the Titans suck, but to do that and win by 14 (even though it's preseason) what does that say about GB? Favre only threw 1 pass (for 89 yards), and both GB corners were out, but a sad display nonetheless. The top 5 picks will probably include the Jets, Titans, Texans, Bills, and either the Packers or Lions.

Are you kidding? The Packers could be the worst team in the NFL. We may not be good, but worst team in the NFL? If you think this will be a blowout, you're clearly mistaken. The Bears didn't really blow any team out last year and had several close games, including both games against Green Bay. So what makes you think that this game will be a blowout? I'm confident the Pack can keep it close and I think they may be able to pull off the upset if Favre doesn't turn the ball over more than twice. GO PACK GO! What makes me think this game will be a blow out? The Packers are TERRIBLE. I know you're a Packers fan but let's face it, there is no upside to this season. Ahman Green is done, Favre is done, Donald Driver is the only receiver of note and he's no game breaker, the head coach the Pack hired coached the worst offense in the history of football last year, the O-line is studded with rookies, Ahmad Carroll is a bust, the D-line is pedestrian, and the Pack have looked awful in the preseason. Barring some sort of miracle, there is no way the Pack are covering in this game. The tables have turned in this rivalry. The O-line is defintely one of our worse points on the team..our defense isn't as bad as people think though. Our LB corps for the future seems pretty good with Barnett-Hawk-Hodge and I think we'll be alright there. Our D-line could use some work, but Kampman made huge strides last year. KGB gets manhandled by the bigger tackles and sucks at defending the run, and our DT's aren't nothing to brag about. Our secondary is not that bad either. Woodson has sucked a lot in the preseason but i dont think he'll be that bad in the regular season. Marquand Manuel is an improvement over Mark Roman. On defense, I actually feel decent about our chances. Offense is a whole 'nother story and thats why we are the underdog in this one. I'm dedicated though and I believe the Packers are close to a .500 team, so maybe we can pull off the upset. Carroll and Horton will get exploited anytime they see the field. One less concern for us as Horton was finally cut. I remember the game against the Colts two years ago where Horton stepped on the field as one of our CB's (can't remember who right now) got hurt and missed the rest of the game. Horton was burned on every play and he looked like a high schooler defending pros out there. Other "big-name" cuts by the Packers: Najeh Davenport and Rod Gardner. Looks like we're set with Green as the starter, Gado the backup, and Noah Herron as the 3rd string back :? The Gardner cut is interesting as the Pack only have 4 wideouts now. When asked about getting Rogers, Ted Thompson said he wouldn't tell the media if he was looking into it, but he said that they would "probably" sign another WR soon. Definitely wouldn't be surprised to see Rogers wind up in Green Bay now. Horton may be gone, but whoever takes over as gthe dime back is probably not much of an upgrade. "Poopy" Davenport was quite the bust in GB. The Packers made a few moves Sunday and have the roster at 53, so if they add a receiver they will have to make a trade or another cut.

I don't want him. I like what we have at WR right now with Moose, Berrian, Bradley, Davis, Gage. If they want to go after Deion Branch, that's a different story. I wanted Lelie and I think we could've had him. I want this team to go after good WRs, not other people's trash. The pass game is the glaring weakness of this team, unless they give Benson more than 10 carries/game, in which case the whole offense will be terrible. Rogers isn't the answer, we need a serious #1 receiver (Moose is a good #2) and Rex to step up right away, or Greise to step in and be average at the least. How so? Benson is the biggest unknown on the offense, but I don't see how anyone can say he is great or terrible at this point. I'm very excited to see Benson get over 10 carries a game. If he lives up to the Bears expectations, he could combine with TJ for a lethal combination.

Are you kidding? The Packers could be the worst team in the NFL. We may not be good, but worst team in the NFL? If you think this will be a blowout, you're clearly mistaken. The Bears didn't really blow any team out last year and had several close games, including both games against Green Bay. So what makes you think that this game will be a blowout? I'm confident the Pack can keep it close and I think they may be able to pull off the upset if Favre doesn't turn the ball over more than twice. GO PACK GO! What makes me think this game will be a blow out? The Packers are TERRIBLE. I know you're a Packers fan but let's face it, there is no upside to this season. Ahman Green is done, Favre is done, Donald Driver is the only receiver of note and he's no game breaker, the head coach the Pack hired coached the worst offense in the history of football last year, the O-line is studded with rookies, Ahmad Carroll is a bust, the D-line is pedestrian, and the Pack have looked awful in the preseason. Barring some sort of miracle, there is no way the Pack are covering in this game. The tables have turned in this rivalry. The O-line is defintely one of our worse points on the team..our defense isn't as bad as people think though. Our LB corps for the future seems pretty good with Barnett-Hawk-Hodge and I think we'll be alright there. Our D-line could use some work, but Kampman made huge strides last year. KGB gets manhandled by the bigger tackles and sucks at defending the run, and our DT's aren't nothing to brag about. Our secondary is not that bad either. Woodson has sucked a lot in the preseason but i dont think he'll be that bad in the regular season. Marquand Manuel is an improvement over Mark Roman. On defense, I actually feel decent about our chances. Offense is a whole 'nother story and thats why we are the underdog in this one. I'm dedicated though and I believe the Packers are close to a .500 team, so maybe we can pull off the upset. Living in Wisconsin I have watched nearly every play of every Packers preseason game. The O-line is awful, and there is no depth at all. 1 injury and it goes from awful to painful for Favre. Al Harris is a stud. No doubt about that. Woodson has been terrible in the preseason. They should have extended Harris this summer. There is no depth at CB. Carroll and Horton will get exploited anytime they see the field. Marquand Manuel is simply not good. Mark Roman is better than him. Manuel did absolutly nothing of signicance in the preseason, and still has nagging injuries. If given the choice between Manuel and Roman, I take Roman every time (and Roman isn't very good). The return game has been a disaster on punts and kickoffs. They will have Woodson returning punts to start the season. Really really bad idea, considering Ahmad Carrol is the nickle back and Jason Horton is the 4th WR, and they move up to 2 and nickle if Woodson gets hurt. The defensive line doesn't have anyone who can get to the QB. KGB is average. Kampan is just not that talented. He is an overpaid, overachiever. Hodge should be starting with Barnet and Hawk, but he isn't. Brady Popinga is the starting linebacker with Hawk and Barnett. I'm sure Hawk will get better, but he did nothing in the preseason. The o-line has not shown the ability to run-block, making it hard for Green or Gado, or Herron. Driver is a stud, and I think Greg Jennings is on his way to becoming GB's eventual #1 receiver. Aaron Rodgers looked so good in the 1st preseason game and then got worse each week. They do have a favorable schedule and Favre is still Favre, so I'll say 6-10 for the Pack (potentially, best case scenerio 7-9 if they are healthy and the Bears sit everyone the last game). After the last 2 Packer preseason games, I would be completly stunned if they beat the Bears. Bears 24 Packers 13

I would have been cool with the Bears picking up Stallworth. Berrian seems to have another nagging injury. Bradley is coming off a serious injury. Davis and Moose have had too many drops in the preseason. Stallworth would have been nice, but Branch or Porter would be even better.

6 drives, 4 TD's for Griese.

Do you offer the Pats a 2nd or 3rd for Deion Branch? It's tempting. I think he is one of those guys who might have acutally had his numbers limited by the Pats offense, and Brady's ability to spread the ball around. The only concern is th money he wants with Olin, Tommy Harris, Vasher, and Briggs needing new deals in the next 2 years. If the Bears get Branch they could have the best offense in the division. They would have the best 1/2 receiver...1/2 running backs...probably the 2nd best O-Line, and no QB in the division is clearly better than a Rex/Griese combo (Favre still might be). The Defense is Super Bowl worthy. If the Bears can score 17-20 a game they could win 13-14 games this year. Getting Branch goes a long way towards scoring 17-20 a game.

It's still on http://www.sportsradio1250.com., but it was moved down to the bottom of the page in the Audio Archives section. I don't know how long it will be there, but it should be up tonight.

http://www.springfieldnewssun.com/sports/content/sports/stories/2006/08/10/snssp0810redsnotes.html Um. Ok.

Len Kasper was interviewed by a sports radio station in Milwaukee this morning. It was very interesting. Len talked quite a bit about the importance of OBP, and how OBP and slugging win games not "small ball." He and one of the hosts got into it about Ned Yost, and Len use very-much Sabermetric thinking in presenting his case. At the end of the interview the host said Len was one of the most entertaining guests they have had on the show. In any case, I found it interesting. I checked and it's archived on their website at http://www.sportsradio1250.com if you want to check it out.

I was at this game in Kane County. Miller was very wild. He did seem to have a lot of pop on his fastball. To my blind eye he looked like he was throwing harder than anyone else in the game. Control was his major problem.

Wasn't the rumor in the offseason that the O's would ship Prior to Texas for Tex if the Tejada trade went through? If they still have interest I would send them Prior and Marshall for Tex this offseason. I have no doubt Tex or Lee could play LF as well as Murton has. After this trade, we would just have to shore up the rotation. Pierre Barrett Lee Tex Aramis Jones Izturis Cedeno Zambrano, one of the "Big 3" FA pitchers, Ohka or Meche, Marmol, Hill CL - Dempster BP - Howry, Eyre, Ohman, Wuertz, Wood Bench - Murton, Pagan, Neifi, Soto, power hitting 1B/3B back-up, LH power bat. Not perfect, but much much better.

But don't our guys have to clear waivers too or at least have no team worse than Atlanta claim them in order to trade with the Braves? It's hard for me to believe someone not claiming a Pie or Marshall, etc... I thought minor leaguers didn't have to clear. I might be wrong. You are probably right about Marshall though. I guess Mateo is a major leaguer now too, so you're right, my proposal won't work.